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Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Cover Reveal ♥ Jack of Thieves by Ben Hale ♥

The Thieves Guild is renowned for their ability to steal anything. Its elite members have robbed nobles of wealth, reputation, and even their honor. The Guildmaster rules them with brutality and fear, yet his name and past are a mystery. From the depths of the Evermist swamp he seeks a master thief, one who can help him reclaim his lost power.

Young and brash, Jack Myst has drawn the Guildmaster’s attention. His feats mark his potential, but his audacity and cunning make him dangerous. After years of preparation an invitation from the guild is exactly what he desires. When he gets it his hunt begins, and there is nothing he cannot steal.

Even the Guildmaster’s secret.

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEAK

Chapter
1: Lord Saris

Lord Saris exited the tavern and stumbled into the darkenedstreet, righting himself before anyone noticed his state. He blinked againsthis blurry vision, peering into the shadowed corners of the roadway. He scowledand straightened, hitching his belt higher around his broad waist.

Turning away from the Golden
Chalice, he strode toward his estate in the northern district of Terros.The laughter from within the gilded tavern faded as he made his way along the road.Although he knew the way, he was forced to pause at signs in order to puzzle outwhere to go. He cursed his guards' absence and swore to himself he would punishthem soundly for their error.

He caught a post and steadied himself until his head stoppedswirling. Then he noticed a beggar woman. She sat hunched against the wall in apool of light cast by the flickering fire of the lamp. Her eyes looked at himwith pleading, causing a flood of memories to fill him.

His wife, ill and weak, struggling to rise from bed. Herpain had caused her to tremble, and she’d pleaded for him to stay at her side.Her disease had ravaged her body and left her an empty husk, but still she’dbegged him to leave the drink behind and serve the people.

Disgusted by the sight of her wasting away, he’d used everyexcuse to avoid her sickbed. He’d worked long into the evening, and claimedthat meetings in the city occupied his nights. Instead he found a tavern andstayed until his fear and pain had numbed before stumbling home. One night he’dreturned to find she had passed on.

He’d known it was coming and been relieved, but a needle ofguilt pierced his heart, cutting deep and refusing to fade even after a decade.As Saris stared at the beggar woman the guilt returned, sharp and stabbing,morphing into hatred. He growled and stabbed a finger at her.

“Please, my lord,” she said, raising her hands. “I have solittle—”

“You know better than to come into this district,” hesnapped. “Go, before I summon the guard.”

She scurried into the night. He watched her go with aheavy-lidded gaze, furious that his walk home had been interrupted, and thememory she’d elicited. Pushing off the post, he turned a corner and ascended tohis estate, forcing the thoughts aside.

A smirk crossed his lips as he looked up to the castle atopthe hill. It was one of the largest in the district, and looked down upon thewealthy homes of Terros. Upon his father's death, Saris had ordered a wallconstructed around the estate and hired more guards. Now a full companypatrolled the grounds, ensuring that common folk never entered.

The two men at the guard tower straightened as he trudged upthe hill. Winded from the climb, he came to a halt and used the moment to growlat them.

“Inform the captain I have returned, and tell him that themen on duty for this evening will see their wages garnished for their absence.”

“But sir,” the lieutenant protested, “you ordered them to stay.”

He fleetingly recalled the orders he'd given them to staybehind.

The meeting at the tavern had been of a sensitive nature, so leavingthe guards at the estate had been a necessity. Such common men were as prone togossip as the trash that lived in the Sticks. Still, he could not admit thathe’d forgotten.

Lord Saris straightened to his full stature of five feet. “Areyou questioning my orders?” His voice took a dangerous edge, and the man loweredhis gaze.

“No, sir.”

Lord Saris did not miss the hatred in the soldier's eyes,and resolved to dismiss the man the following day. His scowl deepened as henoticed the same glint in the second man's gaze, and wondered if he could everfind a good servant. His sharp rebuke died on his lips when the ache in hisskull stabbed into his eyes.

“And summon an attendant to my chambers,” he said, allthought of the soldiers gone. “Have her draw me a bath.”

“As you order,” the lieutenant said, and signaled anotherguard.

Saris dug his hand into his side as he advanced past the guardand ascended the steps to the castle proper. Another guard opened the door ashe reached it. Once inside, Saris grasped the railing and climbed the steps tohis private quarters. Another soldier opened the door, and Saris strode pasthim.

“I do not wish to be disturbed,” he said.

“As you order,” the man replied, and shut the door.

Lord Saris breathed a sigh of relief for the solitude, andvowed never to drink so much again. He realized it had become a frequentindulgence, but dismissed that with a jerk of his hand. He was a lord ofGriffin, and could partake as he desired. Then he strode to the bathingchamber.

Comprised of four separate rooms, his private quarters werespacious and elegant. A central receiving space allowed him to meet in privatewith others of his status. A trio of doors opened onto a bathing chamber, abedroom, and a library.

He stepped into the bathing chamber to find a manservantfilling the tub with steaming water. Saris squinted at him and realized he didnot know the youth. Barely in his twenties, the servant was tall and slender.His black hair highlighted his dark blue eyes. He looked up and Saris flinchedat the predatory look in his eye. By the time Saris recovered the man hadbowed, the expression gone.

“My Lord,” he said, “is there anything else you require?”

“Where are the servant girls?”Saris frowned, struggling torecall their names.

Saris glared at him, and then gestured to the door. “Waitoutside in case I have need of you.”

“As you order,” he replied, and drifted out the door.

Once it had clicked shut, Saris removed his clothing andslipped into the tub. He breathed a sigh of relief and reclined his head,annoyed that the manservant's expression lingered in his thoughts.

Then hedismissed the image and turned his mind to the conversation in the Golden Chalice.

Six months past, he'd beaten a servant girl for refusing hisaffection and she'd gone crying to the city guard. Taken alone, the guard wouldhave dismissed the complaint, but added to past grievances it had led to aninquisition. If the blasted girl could prove he'd been improper the inquisitorwould require him to pay a significant sum.

He scowled at the potential humiliation. The other lords hadassured him the girl had no standing in the court, and without proof her wordswould fall on empty ears. His tension easing with the warm water, he closed hiseyes.

He woke with a shiver. Muttering a curse at the frigidwater, he looked to the light orb to find that it had dimmed. Vowing to flaythe manservant for allowing the bath to cool, he heaved himself from the tuband dressed. His teeth chattering, he cinched his belt and stepped to the door.

He paused at the clink of coins, the angry shout dying onhis lips.

Confused, he came to a halt, and then heard it again coming from hisstudy. Fear and anger blossomed within him as he realized a thief had daredenter his home. He eased the door open, his eyes searching the darkness for themanservant.

The receiving chamber was empty and the lights had beendimmed. He heard a shuffle from the library and another clink of metal. Hisexpression darkened and he advanced toward the hall door, intent on calling theguard. He tripped and nearly went down, just managing to catch the curse beforeit betrayed him. Then he looked to the cause and his expression widened inhorror.

The manservant lay on the floor, blood dripping from a dozenwounds. His eyes were open and haunting, as if he had just perished. Thebrutality of the death shocked Saris, and his fear overpowered his anger. Hiseyes flicked between the corpse and the library. Then he began to crawl towardthe hall, his hands shaking as he reached for the door. The handle refused tobudge, and abruptly he realized the thief had locked it to prevent a guard fromentering. Swallowing the dryness in his throat, he forced the words from hismouth.

“Guard!” he hissed. “I have need!”

No answer came, and he repeated his plea, risking raisinghis voice in order to be heard. His words seem to reflect off an invisiblebarrier, echoing into a strange silence. He’d seen muffling charms used in thetribunal halls to silence angry criminals and recognized the magic. Angerfilled him as he realized the thief had locked him inside his own chambers andcast a charm to silence his cries. Straightening, Saris gathered his courageand roared for the guards, attempting to shatter the magic by force of will.

To his dismay the soldier just outside the door did notcome—but the noise in the library came to an abrupt halt. Terror gripped Sarisand he crawled behind a couch, willing his breathing to quiet. His heart batteredagainst his chest like a hammer against a shield and he mentally cursed thebetrayal. The silence persisted, building the tension until his hands trembled. . .

A window shattered. He yelped in surprise and clutched hischest. When nothing followed he realized the thief must have fled. Shame filledhim, and then rage burned it from his veins. Grasping the couch, he rose to hisfeet and stomped to the library door, yanking it open.

Books lay strewn on the floor, their pages ripped. Gold andjewelry were missing, and even the gilded brackets for light orbs had been priedfrom the walls. Then he saw the strongbox. Hidden behind a false section ofpaneling, it contained his most valuable possessions. Fear exploded through himand he hurried to it. He turned the levers to bring the combination into viewand then grasped the lever. It swung open with a creak of steel.

Piles of gold, jewels, and rings looked back at him, as didthe signet of his house. Attached to an ornate ring, it sat atop a silverpedestal, untouched. Saris breathed a sigh of relief that the thief had notfound it. Then the lights winked out, snuffed like a candle in a gust of wind.

“Thank you, my Lord,” a voice said from behind him. “Thatwas much easier than I expected.”

He spun in place but could not make out the thief in thedarkness.

“Take whatever you wish!” he cried out.

“I intend to,” the thief laughed.

The thief brushed past him and in remarkable time cleanedout the strongbox. Saris huddled against the wall, struggling to keep histerror in check.

“Sound magic has a reputation for being useless,” the thiefremarked, his voice mocking, “but it keeps guards from hearing their master’swhimpering.”

Saris squeaked in surprise. “How dare you—”

A dagger touched his throat and he swallowed the rest of hiswords.

“Be glad I don't do to you what I did to your manservant,”the thief growled.

Saris felt a tug on his hand and screamed, but the thief hadmerely yanked his ring from his finger. The mocking laugh came again, this timefading as the thief departed. Saris remained against the wall, furious and embarrassed.Then he gathered himself and straightened, roaring for the guards.

Without the thief's muffling curse to stop it, his bellowexploded across the manor. The doors burst open and two soldiers rushed intohis chambers, following Saris’s shouts to his library. At their appearance thelight orbs brightened, flooding the space with light.

The soldiers came to an abrupthalt, aghast at the damage to the room.

“My Lord,” one said, “how did this happen?”

Saris screamed at them, unleashing his rage. The glint ofhumor in their eyes only served to heighten his wrath until he pointed to thedoor.

“OUT!” he roared. “And take the body with you!”

“But sir,” the second guard said, “what body?”

Saris stared at him and then stalked into the receivingroom. His indignant rage evaporated when he found the body had disappeared.Dumbfounded, Saris stared at the empty floor, struggling to understand what hadoccurred. Long after the guards had left it dawned on him. The thief hadn'tkilled the manservant.

As an avid snowboarder from Utah, Ben grew up with a passion for learning. This thirst for knowledge led him to sports, music, and academic endeavors. After a year of college, he did volunteer work in Brazil and became fluent in three languages. Graduating from the University of Central Florida, he started and ran several successful businesses before publishing his first novel in June of 2012. By the end of the year he’d sold almost ten thousand copies of The Second Draeken War, and he began writing full-time. Now spanning 10,000 years, ten titles, and two series, The Chronicles of Lumineia represents a sprawling YA series that has sold over 100,000 copies, and continues to expand its readership across all ages. Each of his books has been inspired by his wonderful wife and five beautiful children.

To contact the author, discover more about Lumineia, or find out about upcoming novels, feel free to contact Ben via his contact page. He loves to hear from readers and writers, and welcomes feedback.